China can guarantee their place in the last 16 of the Asian Cup with a victory over Qatar on Monday at Khalifa International Stadium.
Thanks to a 1-0 triumph on matchday two versus Tajikistan, the reigning champions and current hosts assured themselves a place in the knockout stage, while the Chinese played to a 0-0 draw with Lebanon.
It will be the first time in their Asian Cup history that they make it beyond the group stage on consecutive occasions, and they can end this phase with a 100% record for a second straight time.
Defensively, Qatar have been virtually impenetrable since the competition began, posting a pair of clean sheets, and if they collect another one on Monday, it would be the second successive time that they complete an Asian Cup group stage without conceding.
If you count the knockout stage of the 2019 Asian Cup, their form on the back end is equally impressive, with Qatar conceding just once in their last nine matches at this tournament.
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